So Says the Caged Bird
by Cap'n BlackRose
Summary: You should escape.' "I'd end up killing myself." A part of Desmond's mind has been resurrected that probably should have stayed dead. Sharing his mind with Altair is not an easy thing to do. Minor mentioning of Malik/Altair and one sided Desmond/Lucy


A/N: just a little one shot. I've been playing Assassin's Creed and this idea came to me while I was in the shower. Uhm…this really doesn't follow any plot of the game, seeing as how I haven't finished the game yet. i just kinda threw random little tid bits in.

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing from Assassin's Creed.

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Caged Bird

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Desmond stared longingly out over the hazy lines of the sky scrapers. They really must have thought him stupid to not have eventually gotten out of his room.

**They are the stupid ones.**

"Shut up," Desmond mumbled to himself, raising a hand to his head like that would help. He had yet to tell anyone, and doubted he would, but the Animus had resurrected a part of his mind: a part that probably should have stayed dead.

**Shut up.**

Desmond once more rubbed at his head. Altair was an entirely different being than he was and having two completely different personalities in his mind made him feel cramped.

**We are not so different. You just wish to not see.**

The Middle Eastern man's rough tone and accent filled his head. Desmond growled quietly. Not even his thoughts were his anymore. He turned his attention back to the hazy sky scrapers and dreamed of escape. He knew from Altair's memories and his experience with his body, that he was just as fit as Altair had been, if not more so.

**Only because of resources available to you that were not to me.**

Desmond grinned savagely. Altair was not happy to know his descendant was in peak physical fitness without really trying. All he had to do was go to a gym an hour or two a day. He allowed the grin to fall from his lips as he continued to look over the city, his eyes picking out perfect ledges and runways. He could, theoretically, do everything that Altair could do and, theoretically, he knew how. He just wasn't sure if he could contort his body into the radical and unfamiliar angles required of free running, diving, and the other skills Altair possessed.

**I see no reason why. You would just have to actually think. You are not used to those activities as I was.**

"Thank you for pointing out the obvious Altair." Desmond scowled as he talked to himself quietly. The cutting voice of his ancestor and usually inappropriate remarks was something that Desmond was fast becoming used to. Desmond turned quietly to take in the empty room, his gaze drifting towards the chair Lucy always occupied when he was out.

**I tire of your thoughts always turning to that blond bimbo.**

Desmond choked and started coughing, his laughter caught in his throat. For some reason, the word bimbo being spoken in Altair's ancient accent and proud low growl blew Desmond's mind. "Someone's been picking words out of my vocabulary." he observed with a chuckle.

**What else do you expect me to do all day? At least I don't fill your mind with thoughts of others and what I wish to do with them. It doesn't do well to dwell on dreams.**

Desmond chuckled while a burning blush raced up his neck to his face. "There is so much sexual tension between you and Malik that I don't need your thoughts to tell me what you would have liked to have done. You both just didn't act on it."

**How would you know? You haven't seen all my life. Just a certain part of it.**

Desmond once again found himself choking, this time in disbelief. "You got his arm lopped off and his brother killed. I highly doubt anyone would want to have sex with someone who caused all that."

**…**

"Shit," Desmond mumbled, feeling guilt well up in his chests. "Altair, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

**That was not all my doing.**

"What do you mean?"

**You will see later on.**

"I'm sorry. I still shouldn't have said that."

**You are an ignorant boy. Just as I was at the time of my memories you are viewing. We've both said things better left unsaid. Learn from it.**

Desmond sighed quietly. He couldn't think of anyone else that would ever get told off by their thousands of years old ancestor. "Of course, Altair." He turned quietly back to the window, his gaze becoming distant once more.

**You should escape. **

Altair filled his mind with the image of a bird in a cage, the door hanging wide open and a window open beyond that. The bird taking flight morphed into Desmond, diving from the window and latching onto another building to make his escape. "I don't think I can. My mind says I can. My body doesn't know how to move like my mind says I can." Desmond sighed and placed a hand on the thick glass before turning and heading back towards his room. "I'd end up killing myself."

**You have the chance to escape, and you pass it by. If you would believe in yourself instead of your fears, you would be fine!  
**

Desmond shut the door and locked it once more. He placed his head against the cold metal. Altair's anger was building painful pressure behind his forehead. "There will be more chances. And I heard Lucy mention something about the assassins coming to rescue me."

**You do not know for sure! This could be our last chance to get out without those others being here.**

Desmond walked to his bed and sat heavily. He knew Altair was right. He would probably never have an open window like this again. And yet, he found he didn't want to face the unknown possibility of dying just because he couldn't twist his body properly to grab hold of something before plummeting to the street. There was no coming back from that like there was when he made the same mistake in the Animus. "Better to live than to die."

He heard Altair's contemptuous snort. **So says the caged bird.**

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A/N: so, until I finish the game, this will be staying a one shot. Who knows, it might stay a one shot even after I finish the game. I hope everyone enjoyed.


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